DEVELOPING AND DESIGNING NEW CHEMICALS AND MATERIALS - Chemistry: Notable Research and Discoveries - page 7

to leave black marks on paper. Yet both of these substances are com-
posed of the same element! Diamond and graphite are different forms
of carbon.
Why are the properties of diamond and graphite so different? Prop-
erties depend on the structure or configuration of the atoms. But to get
a look at such structures, scientists have to resort to unusual tools. Be-
cause atoms are far too small to be seen with ordinary light-based mi-
croscopes, researchers use X-rays, a type of electromagnetic radiation
that has a much smaller wavelength than light. Smaller wavelengths
give X-rays better resolution—the ability to discern small details—
although they also give X-rays higher energy, which makes them more
dangerous than light.
In the simplest model of an atom, electrons swarm around a compact
nucleus containing protons and neutrons.